GAJO Games

GAJO Happenings and Ramblings Blog

2012 - Number 44

A Deceptively Peaceful Scene

Annual Holloween Game: Underworld

It’s that time of year again, time for the annual Halloween game. Since the Spring, Chris had been preparing for a departure from the
Zombie Apocalypse (2009, 2010) and Aliens (2011) themes. The inspiration for this year’s offering was a figure from Copplestone’s
Future Wars range that the store carries. It’s labeled “Werewolf Hunter” and bears a striking resemblance to Kate Beckinsdale’s iconic
Selene character from the Underworld films.

So “Selene” was painted up and a scenario built around her that would be playable using the stripped-down version of Ambush Alley’s
“Ambush Z” rules that we had used for the zombie-themed games in years past. For those of you who haven’t seen any of the Underworld
films, Selene is a kind of vampire super-soldier who leads her fellow vampire “death-dealers” (vampire commandos) in a centuries-old
war against the “Lycans” (werewolves).

Another Shot of the Town

Closeup of the Inn and Graveyard

The table was built to represent a small town in the modern-day Carpathians. This used a variety of existing terrain with a few new
buildings, walls, and the Games Workshop Garden of Morr Graveyard set as the centerpiece. We tracked down some 25mm scale die-cast
civilian vehicles and Chris painted up a range of modern civilian character figures from Old Glory. With the stage set the players
were introduced to the scenario.

Word had reached the “Death-Dealers” that a team of paranormal investigators had discovered the location of the crypt of a medieval
vampire warrior who, legend had it, had blood that was deadly poison to lycans. Selene and a team of commandos had followed the
investigators to a small Carpathian town.

Vampires Following the Investigators

Team Notices Some Civilians Moving Differently

They were to let the investigators and their locally hired security lead them to the crypt then step-in and steal away with the casket.
From the body it was hoped a serum could be developed to make all vampire blood deadly to the enemy. If the vampires exited off the
table with the casket and Selene still alive (or undead, as the case might be) they would win. If they fulfilled only one of the
conditions they’d manage a draw.

However, there were a few things that the vampire players didn’t know. One of the paranormal investigator team was actually a Lycan.
He was a mere camera operator and so wasn’t privy to the location of the crypt but he had tipped off the Lycan community of what
was afoot. As a result, six of the civilian figures wandering the table were not actually civilians.

The Melee Begins

The Players Prepare for Action

The civilians were moved by the lycan players according to pre-determined rules. If the vampires were paying attention however,
they’d notice that six of these figures were moving independently. If they stopped moving for a turn they were replaced the following
turn with werewolf figures revealing them to be elite lycan warriors.

The game started with the vampires in one vehicle cautiously following the investigators’ vehicle through the town. The latter parked
outside an inn, and while their security stood guard, they headed around the back of the inn to a walled graveyard. The vampires
dismounted a couple of death dealers who climbed on to a roof across the street to go on overwatch.

Selene Gets Into Character

Selene Leads the Assault

When the investigators emerged, carrying a casket the remaining vampires’ pulled out from across town square the in their SUV to block
in the investigators car, then piled out, guns drawn. As they did, several “civilians” who had been loitering suspiciously close
by stopped loitering and transformed into their true form.

In short, all hell then broke loose. The highlight was probably Kenn, who in the role of Selene and with an acute sense of the theatrical,
leapt from the roof of the SUV onto the roof of the investigators’ car whilst in mid-air gunning down not one but two Lycans. When the
dust settled, the vampires made it off the table (in the investigators’ car) with the casket and Selene intact. Three of their team had
fallen in the cause as had three of the lycans.

Local Security Provides Cover

Time to Run!

Thanks to all twelve players who took part in the good-natured mayhem. Hopefully we can keep raising the bar next year!